A new-for-2015 helmet design has been announced for the Cleveland Browns (shown above). The facemasks will be changed from gray to brown, and the orange color has been made somewhat brighter.

Historical Helmets

BALTIMORE RAVENS

1996 - 1998

1999 -

The Cleveland Browns franchise was moved to Baltimore following the 1995 season and became the Baltimore Ravens.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

1968 - 1979

1980; 1994 special

1981 -

CLEVELAND BROWNS

1960

1975 - 1995; 1999 - 2005

November 26, 2006;November 25, 2007;etc.

*see note 1 below

*see note 2 below

1961 - 1974; 2006 - 2014

2015 -

Some sources indicate that the Cleveland Browns may have briefly worn an interlocking "CB" logo on their helmets during the early 1960s, but it appears almost certain that these were never worn during any game; I have certainly never seen even a single photograph showing such a helmet design in use during an actual game.

The NFL treats the "old" Cleveland Browns (? - 1995) and the 1999 expansion team as a single franchise for historical purposes, and I have accordingly lumped all helmets from those periods together, although in reality the 1995 Browns "became" the 1996 Baltimore Ravens.

*1 Mike Stanhope's helmet web site (http://www.mikestanhope.com/Helmetpix.html) lists this design as having been used in 1961 also, but a visitor to the current web site has pointed out that all photographs he has seen from the 1961 season show the numerals to be absent from the sides of the Browns' helmets. In particular, the numerals are absent in games against the Giants and Eagles. Does anyone have any evidence that the Browns wore numerals on the sides of their helmets in 1961?

*2 This design was worn during a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006, as the Browns used "the uniform worn during the first three years of Jim Brown's Hall of Fame career - from 1957-59" (source: article by Steve King at clevelandbrowns.com). The article also stated "The last time that numbers appeared on either side of the helmet was from 1957-60, and the last time a single white stripe was used was from 1952 until 1960, when the two brown stripes were added".
The design was again used during home games on November 25, 2007 (vs Houston) and October 13, 2008 (vs New York Giants).

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

1959 - 1961

1962 (first nine games)

November 18, 1962-December 16, 1962

*see note 1 below

January 6, 1963

preseason games 1970 - 1976

1963 - 1976

*see note 2 below

*see note 4 below

1994 special

September 16, 2007;additional games 2007-2010

preseason games 1977 - present

*see note 3 below

*see note 4 below

1977 -

The circular logo has always been worn on the right sides of the Steelers' helmets, with the left sides always "blank". I have depicted the logo on the left side here to avoid what I consider to be two less attractive options - a series of "blank" helmet images for the Steelers, or a series of helmet images facing the opposite direction from the others at the website.

*1 The traditional logo was first used during the tenth game of the 1962 season, a home game against the Washington Redskins. It was worn on yellow helmet shells during this game and the last four games of the regular season.

*2 The Steelers first used black helmets in the "Playoff Bowl" game at the end of the 1962 season, a 17-10 loss to the Detroit Lions. This game, officially called the "Bert Bell Benefit Bowl", was played annually in Miami from 1960 to 1969, a week before the NFL championship game; it was not actually a playoff game, but rather an exhibition matchup between the second place teams in the NFL's Western and Eastern Conferences.

*3 This design was used during games against Buffalo (September 16, 2007), Baltimore (November 5, 2007), Baltimore (September 29, 2008), the New York Giants (October 26, 2008), Baltimore (December 27, 2009), Cleveland (October 17, 2010), and New England (November 14, 2010), all of which were home games for the Steelers.

*4 The Steelers traditionally do not wear the white uniform numerals on their helmets during preseason games. This tradition apparently began in 1970, though not for all preseason games - the white numerals were in use during at least the 1970 preseason games against the New York Giants and the Boston Patriots. The numerals are known to have been absent during the preseason game against Minnesota in 1970.